Mario Kart is better than you - 9/10
Graphics: 7/10
The graphics in Mario Kart Wii are definitely good... for the Wii. Of course, when reviewing the graphics in a Wii game, it's kind of unfair to compare them to the likes of a 360 game, and it's just plain mean to compare them to that of a PS3 title.
Having said that, the graphics are still very good for this title. Sure, there are some flaws. The characters sometimes look a bit blocky, and the characters look a bit weird when they race around on their own after a match ends... but the graphics are relatively good overall.
Sound: 10/10
It has to be a perfect score for sound. The music in this game is brilliant! Each track has their own unique theme, and there won't be allot that you won't find (at least) somewhat enjoyable. The music is catchy and has a bad habit of getting stuck in your head if played for hours on end. It's also great to hear the reasserted versions of older Mario Kart track music.
I was also very impressed with each characters individual voice clips. Sure, they do tend to be somewhat annoying after a while (Yoshi, anyone?), but you love it all the same.
Gameplay: 8/10
I'm gunna be straight up honest here, this game is better when you have somebody to play against. Playing all of the Cups is fun, don't get me wrong, but this Wii version just didn't have the same appeal that Mario Kart DS had... for me, anyway. The DS version seemed as though you HAD to beat it on every possibility, so that you could justify the $50 - $70 that you spent on the game (handheld games always make me feel that way).
When trying to beat all of the different cups (trying to get at least one star for each of them) I found my self always in first place, just about to cross the finish line, and then BAM! Blue Shelled, or Red Shelled, or something that resulted in me winning by (what I thought to be) a lot... and then I come in second, and be forced to watch that Bitch Peach pass by me. You cannot get a star result if you don't get a perfect win, and even when you do get a perfect result you need to have gotten a good time as well.
Overall, the cups are quite fun, but the CPU's aren't the greatest opponents, and beating them won't be too hard of a task. The multiplayer is where this game really shines. If you've played any previous Mario Kart installments, you'd know how fun a good ol' 1 on 1 match with your buddy is. This is where you get the chance to outshine your buddies, and gloat as you beat them.
I honestly don't care much for coin battles and shine runners, but they are... but only with more than one person.
The tracks for this game truly are amazing. You'll start off with 8 old tracks (from previous Mario Kart titles) and 8 brand new tracks made for the Wii edition. As you beat each Cup, you will unlock extra cups and (depending on what criteria you meet) new characters. Each track is beautify colored and rendered, and you'll have a lot of fun exploring each level to find hidden pathways and shortcuts (and trust me, there are A LOT).
Controls: 9/10
There are four ways of playing this game. You can use the Nun chuck and Wii remote, the Wii Wheel, the Wii remote on its side (which is exactly the same as using the Wii Wheel), the Classic Controller and the Game Cube controller to play the game. If you’re smart, then you will put you Wii Wheel in a draw and never open it ever again. I find that the only good controller is the Game Cube one. The Wii Wheel is pointless, awkward to use, and just plain stupid. I'm sure there are some of you who are thinking "What the hell is wrong with this dude?!” Well, I don't care. It's my review, and I'll say what I want to say.
I've tried each method of control, and each of them are relatively easy to use. I don't like The Wheel or the remote on its own, however. They are hard to use, and take sometime to get used to. I'd prefer to use that time on actually playing the game properly with the Game Cube controller (or maybe even the classic controller if you already have one... don't go out and buy one just for this game).
WiFi: 9.5/10
Holy crap, Nintendo got WiFi right for once! This is like, the best feature of the game. Beating your friends in real life is fun, but now you get to beat your friends when they aren't even at your house. Connecting takes about a minute (if that) and you will usually get at least 8 or so players to race against. There is hardly any loading time, and hardly any lag at all. The best thing about WiFi is that you will be informed if your friends are racing online at the same time as you, so then you can join the same group and kick some Japanese dude’s ass with unfair teamwork.
Replay Value: 9/10
It's something that you will play again and again. It may be for races against friends, people online, or maybe you just want to ration out winning all of those cups. I'm sure it will get dull and boring after awhile... assuming you have no life and need to play it to death 24 hours a day.
Extra stuff:
I'm sure you all know that Nikes are now an option for races. The game should be renamed to be Mario Bike, because that's what you will be using the whole time (aside from 50cc, where karts are mandatory). Bikes are easier to control, and are faster than karts. Shaking the wheel/Wii remote or pressing up on the d-pad will give you a speed boost... out of nowhere too!
Speaking of that, pressing d-pad buttons and shaking the wheel when jumping over slopes, ramps and jumps will allow you to do a quick trick, which results in a speed boost as you land on the track. Mastering this is a must in competitive matches; online or in person.
Overall: 9/10
This is one of the best games out for the Wii at the moment. There's gunna be a shortage of good Wii games for a while, so if you haven’t already got this... you should probably... ya' know, get it 
Snix ~ Nicholas La Sala 2008
Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 19/06/08
Submitted by Snix
19/06/2008
85
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